A delay in the looming Paramount-Warner Bros.Discovery mega-merger that would put CNN under the control of David Ellison did little to quell anxieties at the struggling network. A CNN insider told Fox News Digital that everyone they’ve spoken to feels the merger is "inevitable," and said the delay hardly lifted spirits inside the company that has seen multiple leadership changes in recent memory. "No change in morale," the insider said.
"Keep in mind the current situation is grim, so people see it as a matter of bad or worse." Ellison’s Paramount is attempting to build a media empire of historic proportions by acquiring Warner Bros.Discovery for $111 billion.
The European Union and the U.S.’s Justice Department have each signed off on the deal, with the final roadblock coming from an antitrust lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Last week, a federal judge granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), temporarily blocking the companies from closing the deal until at least August 17.Paramount then agreed to delay the deal until next year in order for the lawsuit to play out in court.PARAMOUNT-WBD MERGER ON HOLD AFTER JUDGE GRANTS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERParamount Skydance Chairman & CEO David Ellison would oversee both CBS News and CNN if the Warner Bros.
Discovery merger closes.(Noam Galai/Getty Images for Paramount)Some staffers are concerned about the direction of the network under Ellison, while others are worried about keeping their jobs.
A second CNN insider, a longtime employee, is sick of the constant speculation. "I think most people just want whatever done, done," they told Fox News Digital. "I've been through multiple CEOs," they continued."I've seen very little change based on who is at the very top."There has been a revolving door of bosses who have run CNN in recent years.
From 2013 to early 2022, then-CEO Jeff Zucker reshaped the network to be adversarial to President Donald Trump, particularly during his first ...